


pills for cold, meals for hunger, (me for you)

by polysebongs



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Friends With Benefits, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Pining, Polyamory, Possibly Unrequited Love, Rated teen for language, side chancheol because i cant resist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polysebongs/pseuds/polysebongs
Summary: “We’re a little fucked up, aren’t we?” Minghao laughs, but it’s a little bitter. “Pining after our roommates who are together like a couple of idiots.”





	pills for cold, meals for hunger, (me for you)

**Author's Note:**

> so my beta doesn't have time to look at this and i'm just gonna post it because why not

Wonwoo hates it when he’s like this, which is exactly why he’s drinking BOGO 7-Eleven pink moscato and packing a bowl on the living room floor. Junhui called him petty. Jihoon called him an idiot. But what else is he supposed to do on a Thursday night when his best friend ditched him for the new boyfriend, other than get exceptionally fucked up and watch an entire season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Chan says he shouldn’t punish himself, but Chan also wouldn’t hang out with him. It is, after all, Soonyoung’s fault that Wonwoo met Mingyu in the first place. He wants to be happy for Wonwoo, but he can’t be if it means that their weekly movie night is going to be cancelled. 

Again. 

“You’re really being this way?” Jihoon sounds exasperated when he comes downstairs and catches sight of Soonyoung sprawled out on the floor. He’s bumping around in the kitchen, probably trying to find something edible that isn’t Junhui and Wonwoo’s expensive organic stuff or Soonyoung’s junk food. Soonyoung flicks a bottle cap at him and pauses the episode he’s watching. 

“Being what way?” Soonyoung knows exactly what way. 

“I hope you pull your head out of your ass soon.” Jihoon stands up from peering into the fridge, a jar of pickles in one hand and a bag of baby carrots in the other. “For my own sanity.” 

Soonyoung huffs and moves to sit at the kitchen counter across from Jihoon. The shorter boy struggles with the lid on the pickles for a moment before handing it to Soonyoung without a word and moves on to wash his carrots. 

“Am I not allowed to be upset that my best friend, my other half, my partner in crime, my platonic soulmate-“ Jihoon snorts at him but doesn’t look up from his veggies, “has chosen a boyfriend over me? I think my feelings are totally valid.” 

“Okay, a) you need to stop hanging out with Seungkwan, you’re getting too dramatic.” Jihoon is pointing a carrot at him and it’s oddly threatening. “And b) you know full well that’s not what I meant.” 

Jihoon bites the end off with a loud crunch. 

Point made. 

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” Soonyoung steals a carrot and flops down on the couch. “And Seungkwan would be fake-offended if he heard you call him dramatic.” 

“Good thing he’s not here then.” Jihoon gathers his snacks and heads back towards the stairs. “Get your shit together!”   
Get his shit together? Soonyoung will admit that he’s being a bit over-the-top, but he’ll get over it eventually. He just wants to mourn the loss of his best friend for a bit. Maybe if he’s lucky Wonwoo will decide he doesn’t like Mingyu all that much and they’ll break up. No, Soonyoung doesn’t mean that. He wants nothing more than for Wonwoo to be happy, even if it means sharing his best friend with that unnecessarily handsome puppy dog of a boy. 

Soonyoung has his shit together. Well, mostly. In reference to Wonwoo at least. Jihoon thinks he knows everything about Soonyoung just because they’ve known each other since high school, and usually he does. But this time he’s overthinking it. Yeah, maybe Jihoon was there for his gay awakening, and maybe Jihoon did walk him through a gay panic freshman year of college. But that does not mean Jihoon gets to psychoanalyze Soonyoung right now. 

Soonyoung ends up giving up on sulking in the living room after the first bottle of wine so that he can avoid Jihoon’s eventual return to the kitchen. It’s a good choice, he realizes an hour later when Wonwoo comes home with a giggling Mingyu in tow. They sound so happy. Soonyoung feels bad about it, but he listens to them quietly bicker over what to get for a midnight snack until he drifts off to sleep. 

Soonyoung manages to avoid Wonwoo and Mingyu all day. And if he does so by hiding in his room and pretending to be asleep until they leave for dinner, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that a knock on the door interrupts his first meal of the day, and Soonyoung’s empty stomach is not happy about having to abandon the frozen pizza he’d been thinking about for hours. His grumbling stomach is momentarily forgotten when he opens the door. He knows he recognizes the boy standing in the threshold, but he can’t really place who it is or where he’s met the guy. All Soonyoung knows is that the other is clutching a sleek motorcycle helmet under one arm and looking at him from behind dark hair. Soonyoung wonders what it would be like to ride on the back of the motorcycle parked at the curb. 

“Soonyoung, right?” The punk dream boy cuts Soonyoung out of his little fantasy. “I’m Minghao, Mingyu’s roommate. Is he here? I’m, uh, locked out of our apartment and he’s not answering his phone.” 

“Oh, uh, no he’s out with Wonwoo. I’m not sure when they’ll be back.”

“That would explain why he’s not answering his phone. Thanks anyway,” Minghao flashes a smile that, despite the dark hair and leather jacket, makes him look exceptionally soft and friendly. And Soonyoung’s brain malfunctions. 

“You could hang out here if you want,” Soonyoung opens the door a little wider as an invitation, “y’know, until Mingyu and Wonwoo get back.” He’s not entirely sure what it is that possesses him to ask this near stranger to hang out, maybe it’s the fact that they’ve both been abandoned by someone close to them. Or maybe it’s the sheer fact that Minghao is one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen. Either way, the younger accepts and Soonyoung finds himself sitting on the couch with Minghao silently eating pizza together. 

“This is probably weird,” Minghao says, he’s finished with the slice that Soonyoung had given him, “and I feel like I’m intruding, I’m just gonna go and hang out at a bar until Mingyu calls me back.” He stands up and goes to grab his jacket but Soonyoung stops him. 

“Do you want company? In case you haven’t guessed by me pathetically eating pizza in my sweatpants, I kinda got ditched tonight.” Soonyoung stands so he can look up at the other boy without craning his neck as much. 

“Get dressed, first round is on me.” 

They’d ridden Minghao’s bike the few blocks to downtown, and the adrenaline makes Soonyoung a little wobbly, but Minghao doesn’t seem to mind wrapping his arm around Soonyoung’s waist to keep him steady. The bar isn’t crowded yet, the waves of college kids not about to make their way out for another few hours, but that doesn’t bother them. By the time Minghao gets a call back from Mingyu, they’re a few drinks in and sitting a little too close for casual conversation on one of the couches at the back of the bar. Soonyoung hooks his chin over Minghao’s shoulder a watches him hit ignore and type out a message letting Mingyu know that he was locked out but he’s not going home anyway. 

“Not going home tonight?” Soonyoung murmurs as Minghao sends off the text message. Soonyoung shouldn’t be surprised based on how generally long Minghao is, but Soonyoung still spends a little extra time looking at the amount of space the younger’s hand covers when he places it on Soonyoung’s thigh. 

“That’s what I was hoping.” Minghao’s eyes are dark and a little faraway, yet they seem to see right through to Soonyoung’s soul. There’s a static in the air that pulls their lips together with a jolt that leaves them both breathless. Minghao tastes like whiskey and Soonyoung wants another shot, but the younger pulls away before Soonyoung can get his fill. Minghao seems a little sheepish if the pink starting to dust his cheeks is anything to go by. Minghao slips up to the bar and orders them another round of shots, his flush subsiding by the time he gets back. They clink glasses and Soonyoung relishes in the way the whiskey burns on its way down for a moment before he’s pulled to his feet and led outside. Soonyoung thinks Minghao looks pretty like this, flushed from the liquor with the streetlights casting a halo around his blurry form. Soonyoung must’ve said that out loud because Minghao is giggling and it’s echoing off the quiet alleyways they use as the shortcuts to get back to the apartment. 

Soonyoung fumbles with his keys when they reach the front door and he can’t tell if it’s because of the alcohol numbing his fingertips or the distraction of Minghao kissing the back of his neck. Their lips connect again once they’re inside and somehow Soonyoung manages to steer them into his room, avoiding the living room and the people talking there. Wonwoo and Mingyu’s voices are loud, but Minghao’s lips against his skin is almost enough to drown out anything. 

When Soonyoung wakes, he’s naked and tucked into Minghao’s side with such a mild headache that it’s almost a relief. He glances at the clock but catches Minghao’s eye instead. 

“Hey,” Minghao smiles softly and puts his phone down, he’s definitely been up for a while but his voice is still hoarse with sleep. 

“It’s too early,” Soonyoung whines and buries his head into Minghao’s neck. The younger laughs a bit and runs his hand down Soonyoung’s spine. 

“It’s almost 11.” He nudges Soonyoung in an attempt to get his attention but only gets a groan in response. He resorts to tickling until Soonyoung is scrambling to pin Minghao’s hands to the mattress. They’re both giggling when Soonyoung finally succeeds, he’s straddling Minghao’s hips and using his whole body weight to keep the younger still. Minghao stretches up to kiss Soonyoung before flipping them over and pressing more kisses to the small bruises forming on Soonyoung’s neck and collarbones. “I gotta go get my bike.” 

Soonyoung whines again when Minghao pulls away to start getting dressed, but lets him go after exchanging numbers. Soonyoung is a gentleman, at least as much as a guy can be after sleeping with his roommate’s boyfriend’s roommate, so he walks Minghao to the door. He immediately realizes that’s a bad choice, though, when they run into Wonwoo and Mingyu. Wonwoo eyes the marks on Soonyoung’s neck while they exchange very awkward pleasantries and Soonyoung does his best to avoid his gaze. As if Soonyoung thought things couldn’t get any worse, Minghao kisses him on the cheek before leaving with Mingyu. 

When it comes to fight or flight, Soonyoung has always been flight. That’s exactly what he does as soon as Minghao leaves. He rushes through the bare minimum of his morning routine before he takes off. 

“Welcome to Soonyoung’s Crisis Help Center, how may I be of assistance?” 

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Chan,” Soonyoung pushes through the front door of Seungcheol’s apartment, “but I can do without the sarcasm.” 

“Thanks for letting me come over bro, sorry for interrupting your quality time with your boyfriend.” Seungcheol is sitting on the couch in his pajamas, he and Chan probably hadn’t moved since they woke up. “Oh, don’t worry about it man, we’re always glad to help out the friend that got us together.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” Soonyoung says as he flops down next to Seungcheol, “I should stop playing matchmaker. You know I wouldn’t be here if I had any other choice.” 

“Lovely to hear that we’re the bottom of the barrel,” Seungcheol’s got his very best kicked puppy look on but Chan is just snickering. 

“Shut up. Hypothetically, how petty would it be for someone to sleep with another person to get back at a friend? Asking for a friend.” 

“On a scale of one to ten?” Seungcheol considers for a moment. “Six.” 

“Okay, then, hypothetically, what if both parties in this revenge hook-up were seeking revenge?”

Seungcheol says “eight” at the same moment Chan asks “what did you do?” 

“Tl;dr-“

“Did you really just say that outloud?” Chan interrupts, earning a glare from Soonyoung. 

“I may have revenge-fucked Mingyu’s roommate Minghao.” Seungcheol sighs as if he’s not at all surprised by Soonyoung’s current crisis. Chan, on the other hand, groans like it’s worse than he could’ve imagined. “He was locked out of his apartment and Mingyu wasn’t answering his phone so he showed up at my apartment assuming Mingyu was there with Wonwoo. I was pissed at being ditched and he was pissed at being ignored, so we went out for drinks and one thing led to another…” 

“What happened to tl;dr?” Seungcheol quips. 

“I had a class with Minghao last semester, he’s unnecessarily attractive,” Chan chimes in. Seungcheol pouts and Chan leans over to kiss it away. Soonyoung pretends to gag. 

“Anyway, he’s hot and I think I wanna see him again.” 

“You’re playing a dangerous game here Soonyoung,” Seungcheol is suddenly serious, “you can’t go looking for a rebound when you’re not even close to being over Wonwoo.”

“Even if you were over him, the boyfriend’s roommate probably isn’t the best choice,” Chan adds. Soonyoung knows they’re right, they usually are if he’s being honest, but that doesn’t mean he has to listen to them. Minghao is attractive and nice and pretty damn good in bed. He would be the perfect distraction for Soonyoung while he sorts out his Wonwoo issues. His Wonwoo issues that he absolutely does not have. 

Soonyoung groans and drapes himself across Seungcheol’s lap, Chan runs a comforting hand through his hair. “Crushes are stupid. Relationships are stupid.” 

“You’re just saying that because you haven’t gotten your way yet,” Seungcheol sighs, he’s having a silent conversation with Chan over Soonyoung’s head. “If you’re dead set on starting something with Minghao, then you need to talk to him sooner rather than later. Make sure you’re both on the same page.”

“Yeah,” Soonyoung sighs as he stands up and makes his way to the door, not wanting to continue sulking here when he could be sulking in his own bed, “I will.”

He doesn’t. Not because he doesn’t want to, Soonyoung does things he doesn’t want to do all the time, but because he feels weird calling or texting Minghao after having just seen him that morning. It’s strange, but he feels like he sees Minghao everywhere after that. In the library on Sunday. Cutting through the lobby of an academic building on Monday. In the line of the campus coffee shop on Tuesday. Soonyoung wasn’t avoiding Minghao, but while writing a paper or running late to class aren’t exactly the best time to chat. So when Minghao slides into the seat across from him after ordering his drink, it somewhat takes Soonyoung by surprise. 

“Are you busy right now?” Minghao asks. Soonyoung shakes his head and pockets his phone. “So, listen, about the other night. I had a lot of fun with you and I like you a lot, but I’ve got some really strong feelings for Mingyu. I like you, so I don’t want you to get the wrong idea that I’m, like, trying to dodge you or lead you on or anything.”

“I’m so glad you said that,” Soonyoung says, it all kind of comes out as one word. “I think it’s pretty obvious that I’ve got a thing for Wonwoo, but I, uh, liked hanging out with you.”

“We’re a little fucked up, aren’t we?” Minghao laughs, but it’s a little bitter. “Pining after our roommates who are together like a couple of idiots.”

“Birds of a feather and all that,” Soonyoung sighs. “Would it be a weird proposition if we kept…” he trails off, not finding the exact words without sounding crude. He gives up pretty quickly, “hanging out, but as, like, friends with benefits? Or something? Y’know, until we’re over… them?”

Minghao contemplates for a moment, fidgeting with a ring on his pointer finger that looks oddly similar to one Soonyoung’s seen Mingyu wearing. “Fuck it, why not? I’m not going to let my life be taken over because my roommate doesn’t love me back.” 

Soonyoung smiles and raises his half-empty coffee, Minghao doing the same. “To being a little fucked up,” he toasts and Minghao nearly chokes when he takes a sip. 

They fall into an easy friendship, meeting for food between classes or studying together in the evenings and spending weekends bouncing between apartments and bars. It feels nice to be able to wake up next to somebody without feeling pressure to impress them. Minghao is easygoing and blunt, and he compliments Soonyoung’s chaotic disaster energy perfectly. They never really acknowledge it, but whenever Wonwoo or Mingyu are around they tend to act different to say the least. Minghao will sling his around around Soonyoung, they’ll cuddle a bit closer on the couch, or (on one notable occasion) Minghao will press Soonyoung against his apartment door to give him an overly-passionate goodbye kiss while Mingyu watches from the kitchen. They think nothing of it, just a little show to make the objects of their affection a bit jealous. 

“So you and Minghao?” Wonwoo’s voice startles Soonyoung who had been sitting on the kitchen counter while waiting for his food to cook, he must have been too engrossed in his text conversation with Minghao to hear Wonwoo walk in. The microwave beeps and Soonyoung hops down to pull out a tray of pizza bagels. He takes a bite, the hot cheese scorching the roof of his mouth, and Wonwoo snorts. They hadn’t breached the subject since that first morning Wonwoo had seen them together, and it had been nearly a month since then.

“Uh,” Soonyoung starts, speaking around the food in his mouth, “yeah, me and Minghao. We’re… yeah.”

Wonwoo nods as if Soonyoung’s sentence had been at all coherent. “I’m happy for you. You’ve seemed lonely since Mingyu and I started dating, I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”

“I get it.” Soonyoung shrugs, already starting to look for a way out of this conversation before he says something stupid. “When you have feelings for someone they can be the only person you want to be around at first.”

“Boyfriends come and go, but you’re my number one.” The way Wonwoo says it, totally serious and honest, makes Soonyoung swallow hard in an attempt to keep his heart from beating its way up his throat. Wonwoo can’t mean anything by it, obviously he’s just trying to show Soonyoung that their friendship is important. But that doesn’t mean Soonyoung’s stupid lovesick brain won’t do its best to come up with some nonexistent subtext for him to agonize over for at least a week. 

“Yeah,” Soonyoung’s mouth feels dry when he speaks, “you too. I mean, you’re my number one, too. Also.”

Soonyoung’s phone goes off then, the ring cutting through the awkwardness. Wonwoo smiles when he sees Minghao’s name appear on the screen, but it seems kind of off. 

“I’ll leave you alone now.” Soonyoung doesn’t even try to swat Wonwoo away when he reaches for another pizza bagel, instead he answers his phone with a sigh as he watches his roommate wander off.

“I just had the weirdest conversation with Mingyu.” Minghao’s voice is barely audible over the rumble of what Soonyoung could only assume is his bike.

“Me too,” Soonyoung grabs his plate and makes his way back to his room before he continues to talk. “Well, not Mingyu. Wonwoo. It was like he was making it a point to me that they weren’t serious or like they were about to break up or something. Are you driving?”

“Yeah, I just pulled into your complex,” the rumble shuts off. “Can I come in or are you busy?”

“Door’s unlocked, I’m in my room.” Soonyoung doesn’t wait for Minghao’s response before hanging up. He falls back onto his bed and waits for the click of the front door. He manages to scarf down two pizza bagels before Minghao is flopping down next to him and groaning. Soonyoung runs a hand soothingly through Minghao’s hair while he finishes his dinner. 

“I think,” Minghao starts, his voice muffled by the pillow he has his face pressed into, “that Mingyu tried to kiss me.” 

“What?” Soonyoung sits up straight, toppling his empty plate and spilling crumbs all over his bed. He yanks the pillow away from Minghao’s face with a frown. “What do you mean ‘you think’ he tried to kiss you?”

“I don’t know!” Minghao pushes up onto his elbows. “He was saying that he’s glad I found you but that he misses me, and he’s sorry for basically ditching me when he got a boyfriend.”

“That’s basically the same as what Wonwoo said to me, but he didn’t try to kiss me.”

“Yeah, well, Mingyu gave me a hug and then when he pulled away he… lingered. And I bolted.” Minghao explains, looking rather pained. “You’d think I would be happy about the possibility that Mingyu might have feelings for me, but I’m not.”

“No, I understand,” Soonyoung starts, pulling Minghao up to lean against his chest, “it’s like you want him to be happy, and dating someone else makes him happy and you don’t want to see him destroy that.”

“It’s not even that.” Minghao sighs. It takes him a moment to find the words, and when he does he won’t look at Soonyoung directly. “I never stopped loving Mingyu, and I know we aren’t supposed to be actually dating, but I like you Soonyoung. Like, a lot. If I had to pick between you and him, I’m not sure I’d be able to.” 

Soonyoung feels like a load of bricks were dropped on his chest. He gets it, he really gets it. Somewhere along the line, their rebound plan failed. Instead of ending up happy and crush free, they both got attached. Developed feelings. The main thing you aren’t supposed to do with your FWB. And yet, he still has feelings for Wonwoo. Strong ones. When Minghao said they were a little fucked up, he was absolutely right. Soonyoung kisses Minghao gently, pulling them close together. “Why are we like this?”

Minghao laughs, but he’s cut off by his phone vibrating incessantly on the bed. Mingyu. “Yeah?... I’m with Soonyoung, I’ll call you later… What? No! Mingyu, I’ll talk to you when I get home… Seriously, please don’t come over here…” Soonyoung can feel his eyes go wide at that. He’s absolutely not ready to have this conversation. Minghao throws his phone down and leans back, pressing his palms against his eyes. “Shitstorm incoming.” 

Wonwoo answers when Mingyu knocks on the door. Soonyoung and Minghao hold their breath when the couple’s whispers turn to silence and footsteps. Soonyoung calls for them to come in when they knock, and for a tense second nobody says anything. Soonyoung really doesn’t know what to expect, an apology from Mingyu maybe? Wonwoo looks irritated, and it seems like the hushed conversation they had outside was Mingyu being scolded.

“Things have been weird between the four of us recently,” Wonwoo starts, and Minghao’s eyes all but roll out of his skull, “today especially. We’re sorry.” Mingyu nods from where he’s hiding behind Wonwoo. The next sentence is directed at Soonyoung. “I’m guessing Minghao told you what happened. Mingyu crossed a line.”

“Yeah, no shit, he tried to kiss my boyfriend!” It’s the first time Soonyoung had referred to Minghao as his boyfriend, and he’s not sure what possessed him, but he hopes it’s not his turn to cross a line.

“I know,” Mingyu whines, “it was stupid, and I’m sorry. But I didn’t realize how I felt about Minghao until you two started dating.” Minghao is tense beside Soonyoung, trying to control his breathing. 

“We were trying to figure out a way to tell you guys that wasn’t going to cause any problems,” Wonwoo’s got his hands shoved in his pockets awkwardly when he speaks, “we failed, apparently. We decided to have an open relationship, on the condition it’s you.” 

“What the fuck.” Minghao deadpans. All the control he had just a second ago is gone, he looks like he’s torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to rip Mingyu’s head off. 

“Get out. Please.” Soonyoung stands to usher the couple out of his room. By the time he’s locked the door behind them, Minghao is face down in his bed again, shaking with silent sobs. He waits until he can hear the other two retreat upstairs before joining the younger on the bed. 

“Is this a joke to them?” Minghao’s voice is muffled through the pillow he’s got his face pressed into. Soonyoung tries to rub calming circles into the other’s back, but he’s tense too and not sure it’s doing much of anything. 

“I guess you won’t need to pick between us?” It comes out more like a question than a joke, and Soonyoung regrets it almost instantly. Minghao goes rigid under his hand and there’s a tense moment while Soonyoung decides if he should apologize. As soon as he opens his mouth, though, Minghao turns. His face is red and has strange lines from the pillowcase and Soonyoung wants to kiss him but knows it probably wouldn’t be appreciated at the moment. 

“You called me your boyfriend earlier.”

“Yeah.” Soonyoung’s face goes hot. 

“Would that work?” Minghao sits up properly now, fully facing Soonyoung. “Like, an open relationship?”

Soonyoung shrugs. If he’s being honest, he’s not sure. He’s heard about open relationships but only for people who are long distance or something. And maybe it’s stupid and a little too hopeful, but Soonyoung is to the point that he would try anything so long as it means he doesn’t have to lose Wonwoo and Minghao. “I don’t know. We should probably talk to them about it more.”

“In the morning,” Minghao sighs. “I feel like I’m all out of brain cells for the night.”

Soonyoung laughs. He feels drained too, but not unhappy. He tries his best not to think about it for the rest of the night and just relax with Minghao. It doesn’t work out all that well, and he ends up awake for far longer than he would’ve liked just running through how they could end up.

There’s something far lighter about Minghao’s demeanor when they finally crawl out of bed sometime the next afternoon. Even Mingyu shirtless in the kitchen cooking what looks like enough ramen to feed an army can’t deflate the younger. It does, however, set Soonyoung on edge slightly. He’s not used to the type of confrontation and sharing of feelings that he knows is coming. 

“Can we talk?” Minghao asks causing Mingyu to jump as if he hadn’t noticed them walk in. 

“Oh, yeah,” Mingyu moves the ridiculously large pot (where did he even get that?) over to a cool burner and serves them each a bowl, setting one aside for Wonwoo.

“You’re shirtless.” Soonyoung points out and Mingyu looks down like he had forgotten that fact.

“I spilled Coke on it,” the tallest sighs, rubbing his bare chest. Soonyoung can’t help but stare a little bit. “I had to wash it before it stains so Wonwoo is trying to find me something to borrow.”

There’s a bit of an awkward pause, the only sounds the slurping of their ramen until Wonwoo makes his way downstairs. 

“Good, you’re up,” he says, feigning cheerfulness as he tosses Mingyu a sweatshirt. “We really didn’t mean to upset you guys last night.”

“You were serious about the open relationship thing, right?” Soonyoung is more than happy to let Minghao take the lead in this conversation. “What would that mean for us?”

“It just means you’d have three boyfriends instead of one!” Mingyu earns a jab in the ribs from Wonwoo.

“Three?” Soonyoung squeaks.

“If you want, that is.” Wonwoo sighs, shooting Mingyu a look. “And probably not all at once. Minghao and I barely know each other, but if something happens,” Wonwoo punctuates the sentence with a shrug. Trying to seem calm and nonchalant. 

“It’s just about communication.” Mingyu chimes in. “And if you don’t like it we can stop.”

“What do you think?” Minghao asks, nudging Soonyoung gently. He thinks about it for a moment, letting the idea really sink in. It seems perfect in theory.

“Yeah, let’s try it.” 

Mingyu all but beams at them in a way that makes Soonyoung think it was his idea. 

It’s a little odd at first, but they settle in pretty quickly. Once the initial awkwardness passes it’s like nothing has changed at all. Except for the fact that Minghao and Mingyu are very open with their affection. It doesn’t actually bother Soonyoung, he’s glad that Minghao is happy. But that doesn’t stop the ugly twist of jealousy in his stomach when he notices them holding hands during a movie. Not over Minghao, they spend just as much time together as before. And Mingyu certainly hasn’t been shy about giving Soonyoung any sort of affection, platonic or otherwise. It’s Wonwoo, really. As per usual, Soonyoung is still floundering around when it comes to the man that is supposed to be his best friend. Their old rituals and inside jokes are back, but Soonyoung has been at a loss for how to move past friendship now that they’ve been given the go ahead. He thought that it was going to be easy like it was for Minghao and Mingyu, but nothing is ever easy when it comes to Soonyoung’s love life. 

Soonyoung’s frustration comes to a head one night over a game of Cards Against Humanity. Mingyu finally gets his first round win after what feels like an hour of playing and Soonyoung watches as he gets a congratulatory kiss on the cheek from Wonwoo.

“This is so unfair,” Soonyoung mumbles into the rim of his Lime-A-Rita or whatever the fuck kind of sugary drink Mingyu had found at the convenience that was cheap enough to get them drunk. 

“You’re in second place.” Minghao points out.

“I don’t mean the game!” Soonyoung throws down his cards. Bees? lands directly in the hummus and he sighs. “It’s that.” He gestures between the other three. “You guys are all so happy. Yeah, I’m happy with Minghao and I’m starting to really like Mingyu, but Wonwoo… Do you just not want to be with me?”

“No!” Wonwoo reaches out to take Soonyoung’s hand from across the table. “I mean, of course I want to be with you, but you seemed so happy already. I didn’t want to mess that up.” 

“God, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung starts, he has to take a second to stop himself from yelling, “don’t you understand that I’ve been head over heels for you basically since we met? There’s nothing to mess up!”

There’s a moment of tense silence, the younger two watching the exchange intently, before Soonyoung stands to go pace in Minghao’s kitchen. He doesn’t make it very far. Wonwoo still has his hand and he’s standing now too. It’s like time slows when Wonwoo pulls him in. Their lips only touch for a second, but Soonyoung feels like it’s better than anything he ever imagined. And he spent a lot of time imagining what it would be like to kiss Wonwoo. 

“I’m so sorry,” Wonwoo’s face is so close to Soonyoung that it’s hard to focus on what he’s saying, “really. I don’t ever want to hurt you again.”

“Shut up.” Soonyoung barely lets the words escape before he’s pulling Wonwoo back in for another kiss, this time making sure it lasts a little longer. He’s hyper aware of their audience, but he can’t find it in him to care.

“Great, now that that’s settled, when’s our first foursome?” Mingyu jokes. It’s followed by a swift elbow in the stomach from Minghao and a burst of laughter from Wonwoo. 

And Soonyoung feels happy for the first time in ages.

**Author's Note:**

> eventually i'll get better at endings


End file.
